Sri Lanka is many things. A mesmerizing and magical place, it is a beach lovers paradise kissed by tropical seas, and a haven for budget travelers and foodies with cheap prices, flavourful food and famous teas. There are oodles of heritage, wildlife, and incredible landscapes just waiting to be hiked. There are a huge range of timeless ruins and ancient sites. Travel to Sri Lanka.

Upon leaving New Zealand, I had no idea or expectations about Sri Lanka, only curiosity. Years of war and natural disasters like tsunamis have kept many travelers away. Though the country is quickly moving forward, and I found Sri Lanka’s myriad appeals alluring. Best time to travel to Sri Lanka.

Arriving to a country that had seen so much suffering, I was humbled to see that the people in Sri Lanka were happy, friendly and optimistic about the future. The country is finally seeing peace and recovering from it’s tumultuous past, with a lot to offer those travelers willing to make a trip.

Sri Lanka is a small country, and you can pack a lot into a vacation of 12 to 16 days. The following are my favorite 5 reasons for why you should visit Sri Lanka. Travel now before the rest of the world realizes this unbelievable country has been hiding in plain sight. Sri Lanka tourism board. Visit Sri Lanka.

5 Reasons You Should Travel to Sri Lanka

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Why you should travel to Sri Lanka

Why you should travel to Sri Lanka

Beaches

The beaches in Sri Lanka are undeniably beautiful, though what’s even better is enjoying these spectacular beaches without the crowds. Often you’ll find yourself completely alone. How many days to spend in Sri Lanka.

And there are so many beaches to choose from. Some are golden, some have soft white sand, some are battered by the wind and waves, some are laid back, and some have a lively party vibe. Our favorites include Hikaduwa, Talalla, Mirissa, Marakollya, and Arugam Bay. Best beaches in Sri Lanka.

If you’re lucky, you may be able to spot turtles, if not, kick back with a coconut and enjoy life. Scuba diving, snorkeling and surfing are popular activities along Sri Lanka beaches. There are so many options for recreation here.

“One of the best things about Sri Lanka’s beaches is that no matter what time of year you go, if it’s raining on one coast then chances are it’ll be sun hat and swimmers weather on the other.” When to go to Sri Lanka.

A deserted beach in the deep south of Sri Lanka. This is typical of the types of beachscapes you will see heading south of Bentota and Galle towards Yala.

If you’re lucky, you may be able to spot turtles!

Sri Lanka has so many beaches to choose from.

Curry

Sri Lanka is famous for it’s flavourful food, whether you’re talking lunch, dinner, or breakfast food. Though you can’t go past the local curry. For starters, curry is something you’ll always get for the best price. Also, Sri Lankans are incredibly good at making it! Though do note that most of the time the spices are so tasty and rich on flavor that you’ll likely need a beer to chase it.

When it comes to curry in Sri Lanka you generally have five different choices: chicken, fish, and 3 different vegetable combinations. It is always served with a large load of rice and poppadoms. The dahl (lentil) is incredible, though my favorite was the pumpkin curry. It was seductive. Sri Lanka curry.

When ordering something to drink with your meal, you can’t go past local juice. Pineapple will never taste as good after having had it in Sri Lanka.

Sri Lankan Tea

When ordering something to drink with your meal, you can’t go past local juice. Pineapple will never taste as good after having had it in Sri Lanka.

Wildlife and National Parks

Yala National Park is a fantastic location. From Monkeys, water buffalos, and elephants, there are plenty of exotic creatures to see. In Marakollya beach, you can watch as turtles come ashore in the middle of the night to lay their eggs on the beach. Best national parks in Sri Lanka.

Mirissa provides incredible opportunities for whale & dolphin watching. Witness the majestic blue whales emerge with their tales and then disappear back into the deep ocean; an incredible moment to see this animal in their nature habit, wild and free. What wildlife can you see in Sri Lanka?

There are also opportunities for tracking leopards in the jungle, or witnessing the unparalleled sight of the annual elephant migration, which takes place in Sri Lanka’s Minneriya National Park. Sri Lanka wildlife.

Sri Lanka has unique wildlife experiences wherever you go.

Sri Lanka has unique wildlife experiences wherever you go.

Sri Lanka has unique wildlife experiences wherever you go.

Mountain Climbing: Adam’s Peak

The most breathtaking hike in Sri Lanka is the climb to the top of Adams Peak, or Sri Pada. This is “one of Sri Lanka’s most striking natural landmarks, and one of its most celebrated places of pilgrimage – a miniature Matterhorn which stands head and shoulders above the surrounding hills, giving a wonderful impression of sheer altitude.” Mountain climbing in Sri Lanka.

There are many legends around the huge “footprint” at the summit. The original Buddhist story claims that this is the footprint of the Buddha himself, though other religious beliefs claim it is the footprint of Adam, who is said to have first set foot on earth here after being cast out of heaven, Lord Shiva, and St. Thomas. Hiking in Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka’s best hikes.

If you make the ascent at night, you will reach the top in time for dawn. This offers the best odds of seeing the extraordinary views free from cloud as well as a chance a glimpsing the peak’s famous shadow. You can also enjoy the spectacle of the night-time illuminations and all-night teashops on the way up.

“As dawn illuminates the holy mountain, the diffuse morning light uncovers the Hill Country rising in the east and the land sloping to the coast to the west.” This pilgrimage has proved to be one of the best travel experiences of my life.

The Budget

After having traveled through Australia and New Zealand, Sri Lanka helped me get my budget back on track. To travel here is quite cheap, and you can easily get by on an average of $50 per day. Sri Lanka tourism.

Activities like safaris and entrances to UNESCO World Heritage sites will prove to be your biggest costs (sometimes as expensive as $50 per ticket), though in general, transportation, food and room rates are very reasonable and can be enjoyed on a backpackers budget. Travel tips Sri Lanka.

Wow! I want to go to Sri Lanka right now! Beaches and yummy food had me at first read but that sunset at Adam’s Peak is worth the trip alone – it looks incredible. Thanks for giving me another destination to add to my list!

Glad you enjoyed the post Vicki! Yes, Sri Lanka really does have the perfect combination of everything; quite a lot going for it between the hiking, wildlife experiences, unspoiled beaches, and of course the food. One of the rare destinations where you can have a really authentic travel experience :)

Wow, I’ve never thought about travelling to Sri Lanka but now I will have to add it to my list. I love finding animal experiences when I travel and it looks like I would see some interesting animals there. Great post!

Hoping so! I have a feeling it’s really going to take off in the next couple of years once people really realize what’s on offer there. So I highly recommend to everyone to travel before mass tourism hits :)

Ah, you got me at every single point, it looks like my kind of country, cheap, with a lot of possibilites of adventure and outdoors with delicious food! Do you know if its similar to Kerala in India? It´s very close so assume it could be similar, and I loved Kerala.

Learned about Sri Lanka at World Travel Market London and am very intrigued. It was interesting seeing people as dark as me who were not of African descent. I’d be interested to see what my experience would be in that country. Great shots.

As a teacher, I have students from all over the world, and ever since having a 7th grader in my class from Sri Lanka, I’ve been aching to visit! We looked into going for our honeymoon, but flights were too expensive. It’ll happen eventually, though. Mmm… that curry and those sights!

The scenery from the train in your video looks amazing, I will definitely have to take the train through hill country when I have the chance to visit. Kandy, Nuwara Eliya, Ella, and the cultural triangle Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa are also on the list!